An Unbreakable Addiction

Shortly after, they got married.

In the beginning, she had high hopes for their marriage and genuinely tried to learn how to take care of him. But now, she realized their relationship mirrored the one she had with her family.

No matter how good she was or how much she gave, it would never be enough to make them look at her differently, let alone love her.

Just like her parents, Hunter would never truly appreciate her.

"Grandpa called and asked us to come for dinner. If you want to come over, I'll send someone to pick you up." Hunter said softly into the phone.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

"I want you to come get me yourself," Jenna whined on the other end.

Mia's chest tightened. Being the favored one sure gave her confidence to make any request she wanted. "I'll send someone to pick you up. Be good," Hunter's voice carried a hint of indulgence.

Mia rolled down the car window. The sound of the wind filled her ears, drowning out Hunter's voice, and the pain in her chest lessened just a little.

Hunter hung up and frowned at her. "Mia, what are you doing? Are you out of your mind?"

It was freezing out, and her face was turning numb from the cold.

Mia closed the window and turned to look at him. "Grandpa doesn't like Jenna. If she comes over, his blood pressure might spike."

She couldn't stop Jenna from going, but she could at least try to remind Hunter of the consequences.

"You're just using Grandpa as an excuse because you don't want to see Jenna. Mia, you need to stop being so jealous," Hunter said as he dialed his phone.

Mia obediently fell silent.

She had tried to give him a helpful reminder, but he just accused her of being jealous.

"Fine, let him think whatever he wants," she thought.

The rest of the ride was filled with the sound of Hunter leading a video conference.

Mia lost interest in watching him, leaned back, and closed her eyes to rest. She soon fell asleep.

When the car pulled up to the Jasper family estate, Hunter closed his laptop and rubbed his temples.

It was only then that he noticed Mia had fallen asleep. His lips tightened into a thin line.

Mja was undeniably beautiful. Even in sleep, with her beautiful eyes closed, she still looked stunning.

He suddenly realized that in the three years they had been married, he had never seen her asleep before.

No matter how late after they made out, or how exhausted she was, Mia always went to the bathroom to shower, apply body lotion, and tend to her skincare routine. Sometimes, she even stayed up preparing Mecase files for the next day's trial in the study.

By the time she finally got into bed, he was already asleep.

In the mornings, she always woke up early to make breakfast, pick out his clothes for the day, and iron them neatly before placing them beside the bed.

By the time he woke up, her side of the bed was already cold.

Hunter furrowed his brows.

That meant Mia only got about five hours of sleep each day.

Even though she worked so hard, she had fiercely resisted when Hunter suggested she quit her job and stay home full-time.

Just then, the car door opened, and Jenna's voice broke through his thoughts. "Hunter, come inside with me quickly! I'm afraid Grandpa's going to yell at me!" She reached out to grab his arm as she spoke.

"Hold on." Hunter snapped out of his thoughts and brushed her hand away. He then took off his coat, gently placing it over Mia before stepping out of the car. Jenna's eyes flashed with resentment as she watched his actions,

Meanwhile, Sam watched the two walk away, his thoughts racing. For three years, every time Hunter went on a business trip or celebrated a holiday, he always made sure Sam prepared a gift for Mia, Sam had always believed Mia held a special place in Hunter's heart. But now, he started to doubt himself. Maybe he needed his eyes checked. Hunter treated Mia so coldly, no different than he did with everyone else. How was she any special?

At that moment, the housekeeper came running over, shouting, "Mrs. Mia Jasper, please come quickly! Mr. Jasper Sr. has just fainted!"